St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer

St. pAtRicK'S bREAStplAtE pRayER

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold, from those that walk uprightly.”

-Psalm 84:11

St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer Suggested Prayer Use:

The first Stanza, is excellent to pray as part of a Prayer Upon Awaking.

The second stanza, or the “Christ” stanza, or both, can be added, with or without the repeated last stanza.

Or you could memorize some of the Hymn Version (further below) for the same purpose.

We here have all learned this version by singing it.

For 740 years, Irish Celtic Christian Monks memorized the longer version for use as their Prayer Upon Awaking.

Some of us here have done the same, and for the same reason.

-Lay Monk Preston

ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE PRAYER (Also known as “The Lorica” and “The “Deer’s Cry”) ______________________________________

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent on the Day of Judgement.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today through the strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today,

through God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of demons,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

_______________________________________

Click on the Triskelion Trinity Symbol (Directly Below)

…to see and hear the Ken Read Ensemble’s musical rendering of:

St. Patrick’s Breast- plate in a YouTube Video.

(it’s the version we sing).

ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE PRAYER

(Adaptation as a Hymn by C.F. “Fanny” Alexander in 1889. We sing it using the Ken Read Ensemble’s music version.)

I bind unto myself today

the strong name of the Trinity
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ’s incarnation,
his baptism in the Jordan river,
his death on cross for my salvation,
his bursting from the spicéd tomb,
his riding up the heavenly way,
his coming at the day of doom,
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven,
the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
God’s eye to watch, God’s might to stay,
God’s ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach,
God’s hand to guide, God’s shield to ward,
the word of God to give me speech,
God’s heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
the strong Name of the Trinity
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One and One in Three,
of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word.

Praise to the Lord of my salvation;
salvation is of Christ the Lord!